Andrey Rublev captured his 18th ATP Tour title on Sunday at the Nordea Open in Bastad, defeating defending champion Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 17 minutes. The top seed claimed his second Bastad crown — his first came in 2023 — becoming just the 10th player in the Open Era to win multiple editions of the Swedish clay-court event.
The Russian served with precision and struck his forehand with devastating power throughout the final, while Darderi struggled to find the rhythm that carried him to the title a year ago. Rublev saved the only break point he faced at 2-2 in the opening set, producing an unexpected serve-and-volley to escape trouble. The decisive moment arrived in the 10th game, where Darderi faltered on serve and Rublev converted his second set point.
The defending champion's frustration boiled over after the first set as he smashed his racket and tore his shirt. The second set began with Darderi dropping serve immediately, double-faulting on break point to hand Rublev a 2-0 lead. The Italian had a chance to break back in a marathon third game lasting 16 points, but Rublev stunned him with a sharp counter-attack, and Darderi's slice recovery drifted just wide. From there Rublev cruised to a comfortable 6-3 close.
